Front pillars (i.e., A-pillars) on a vehicle are structural members of a body frame positioned between the windshield and the front doors. The front pillars support the roof structure as well and, therefore, must provide substantial support in rollover events. At the same time, the front pillars lie within sight lines of the vehicle operator and need to have a minimal profile to allow the operator to maintain proper vision with respect to the front pillars. Thus, there can be conflicting requirements with respect to the design of the front pillars. To provide a strong structural member for the body frame, each front pillar needs to have a maximum cross-sectional configuration, yet maintain a minimal cross-section for vision purposes. Commonly, each front pillar is formed as a structural member having a closed cross-section by welding together an outer panel and an inner panel in an overlapping manner. Each of the outer panel and the inner panel typically includes a weld flange for joining the other. The weld flanges also provide for a sealing relationship with respect to both the windshield and the front door that are supported on the front pillars. However, because the weld flanges project outwardly from each front pillar, the traditional flange formation can be restrictive and can result in a correspondingly narrower field of view for the operator from within the passenger compartment.